Little House Magic: Halloween Apple Lore and History of the Clove Apple Pomander
Apples and pumpkins are the two hallmark fruits of Halloween and the autumn season. Though lately it has been “pumpkin spice” everything, apples can help you get your cozy going just as well as the popular orange member of the squash family.
Apples have a long history of being part of Halloween and Samhain celebrations. Autumn is apple season after all and it isn’t hard to imagine that these tasty and durable fruits easily became a part of lore and stories. A look back through an apple-rich history, shows a story of apples being a bit mischievous depending on the lore. However, they were often revered for their health and magical values as well as being symbolic of love and wellbeing (Carvaly, n.d.).
Apple Lore: Divination for Love
Bobbing for apples appears to have a long history spanning centuries. This activity was not always a simple game but was rooted in finding love through divination bestowed from apples. Apparently apples would either be carved with the name of a potential beloved or assigned to a certain person. The apple caught during a bobbing session would tell of who your love would be. Another practice was to use the peel of an apple to find answers to questions and even discover clues to who your beloved might be (Richards, 2013).
Halloween Clove Apple Pomanders
You don’t have to bob for apples to enjoy them this season. This simple, cozy little craft will give you a fragrant and whimsical way to bring these fruits into your home.
Remember the clove apple gifted to Ma Ingalls in Little House in the Big Woods? It brought such joy to Laura as she inhaled the scent of an apple all studded with cloves. Just like the clove apples of old, these super simple Halloween clove apples will smell amazing while having a fun Halloween twist.
At the heart of this cozy craft is the lovely clove. The fragrant, dried flower buds of the Syzygium aromaticum tree have a history rich in herbalism for their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. In past centuries, when cloves were embedded in an apple, the resulting pomander was much more than a sweet-smelling decoration; it was historically a form of aromatic preservation and protection (Kenny, 2021).
As a folk preparation, fragrant pomanders clove-studded fruit were often carried or placed in homes to ward off unpleasant odors and, more significantly, were believed to help guard against miasmas and sickness. This means that when Laura Ingalls saw the clove apple gifted to her Ma, she was looking at a cherished item that combined the enduring, hopeful symbolism of the apple with the potent, protective power of the spice.
How to Craft A Halloween Pomander
Brew up a cup of herbal-infused apple cider and get ready for a fragrant crafting session.
This craft is great to share with children—be sure to help them poke the wholes in the apple to avoid injury.
We gave our apple friends faces to share emotions—happy, sad, and frustrated—because all emotions are important and allowed! Then we put our apples in a little basket to keep close by during our reading adventures for cozy fragrance.
Materials:
Fresh, unblemished apples (you can substitute oranges if you wish which are often used to make pomanders)
Whole cloves
Nail or toothpick
Ground spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, or allspice, optional
Small, clean paint brush
To Make:
Poke holes with the skewer or toothpick to lay out the expression you want your new little friend to have.
Brush over the holes with ground spice if you wish. This will help to keep the apple fresh a bit longer.
Then carefully insert the cloves.
Once you are done creating a face, brush again with spices if using. Let the apple dry a bit and brush off any loose spice.
Note: If you want your pomander to last for a long time, cover the entire surface of your apple in cloves and then roll the studded apple in ground spices. Less Halloween perhaps but lovely and perfect for cozy wintertime.
References
Carvaly, A. (n.d.). The Bewitching Bond: Unraveling the Mystical Connection between Witchcraft and Apples. Retrieved on 10/14/2025 from https://www.morticianinthekitchen.com/recipe-blog/wiccans-witchcraft-and-apples
Kenny, P. (2021). The Pleasure of Pomanders. Retrieved on 10/15/202 from https://herbsocietyblog.wordpress.com/2021/12/13/the-pleasure-of-pomanders/
Richards, A. (2013). The Secret, Steamy History Of Halloween Apples. Retrieved on 10/13/2025 from https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/10/30/241924745/the-secret-steamy-history-of-halloween-apples
Tuttle, S. I. (2022). Apple Folklore, Fairy Tales, Myth, and Magic. Retrieved on 10/14/2025 from https://enchantedlivingmagazine.com/apple-folklore-fairy-tales-myth-and-magic/